SAI: Taker
-1

Prologue

(chapter number given as -1 because Mangahelpers doesn't like 0 as a chapter number)

p1:“SAI”. That is the interface which stores the miraculous new form of energy known as “Life” / and allows its users to synchronize with and use that energy.

People who synchronize with SAI use Life to surpass the limits of mankind. / They can enter the spaces between time, the “Gaps in Time”, / the only places where Life can be gathered.

And those people who can harvest Life, a priceless resource, / who can control SAI, are known as…

p2-3:[title]: SAI: Takers / The Two Artemises

[box on left]: SAI Takers, and are highly respected members of society.[upper left]: Chapter 0: Prologue

p4:What, exactly, are SAI Takers? / They are the people who can use SAI, the technology that allows humans to utilize Life.

Those chosen few utilize powerful computational abilities to synchronize with SAI, / which transforms Life into a form the Taker can absorb and control. / This allows the Taker to gain superhuman strength or similar special abilities; however, the most impressive change is that…

They can enter the “Gaps in Time”, which normal humans can’t even observe. There, they act as superheroes, fighting the native monsters and securing Life.

p5:Life can cure all kinds of diseases, extend one’s lifespan, and is a valuable energy.Kyouya: Even a child knows that much… <coming out of his mouth: yawn >But only SAI Takers can gather the resource from the Gaps in Time.

Kyouya: My name is Nanase Kyouya. / <aside: This is bad, this is bad! >

Kyouya: I’m just your average 15-year-old high school student / who looks up to the SAI Takers.

Extras: Hey, wanna play a game? / Yeah!

Kyouya: But we can only experience their life through games. / After all, not everyone can become a SAI Taker.

Extra: So, did you see the news? / Ah, you mean the bus crash where he saved all those people’s lives?

p6:Extra: Yeah! They were so cool! SAI are the greatest! / He just picked everyone off and jumped so far, it looked like he was flying!

Kyouya: How long has it been / since Life and SAI Takers become normal, even in Japan?

Kyouya: They are more than just talented individuals—they’re the world’s heroes.

Kyouya: Of course, there’s a perfectly good reason for that.

p7:Kyouya: Only SAI Takers / can obtain the most valuable resource in the world, Life.

Kyouya: Even I am the same as everyone else, dreaming of becoming a SAI Taker. / But unfortunately, I don’t have the slightest bit of compatibility with SAI.

Kyouya: And besides, as long as I’m at home I can’t just pine after SAI as much as I want.Kyouya: I’m home!

Kyouka: Wow! Welcome home, Kyou-chan!Kyouya: That’s thanks

p8:Kyouka: Nice timing! I was just about to take a bath! / You’ll help me shampoo my hair like always, right?

Kyouya: to this woman. / I’m home, Kyouka-nee-san!

[inset]: Igarashi Kyouka. / She took me in after my parents died. I owe her my life.Yuuma: Onee-chan! You should take your baths by yourself!

[inset]: She is something most people don’t even know exists: / an Original Taker.Kyouka: But we’re both fine with it, so what’s the problem?

p9:Original Takers / are the origin of the SAI Takers, who can only exist in the world’s shadows.

They form a contract with the mysterious equipment known as Magical Vessels, and are reborn / as beings who without the aid of SAI can absorb Life directly into their bodies. As long as they don’t run out, they will never die.

Box: After mankind succeeded in creating SAI Takers , the originals were forbidden to reveal themselves to the world, are heavily regulated and controlled, and have lost their freedom.<aside: You jealous? >Yuuma: Kyou-chan’s already 15 years old!Kyouka: And he never tries to sneak a peek at you. Maybe because you’re unattractive? Box: Of course, forming a contract with the Magical Vessel, just as the word suggests, means one must consign himself to darkness.

p10:Kyouka: Kyou-chan! I’ll be getting in first, OK?Box: They are forced to be the scapegoats for the SAI Takers they created with their own hands.

Box: Knowing that, I can’t just go around praising them 24/7. Kyouka: If you’re that jealous, why don’t you join us?Yuuma: Can’t you listen to what I’m saying?!

Kyouya: But still… if I had one of those Magical Vessels… / maybe I could become a taker, too?

Box: To be honest, it didn’t really matter to me whether or not she was a Taker.

p12:I just want to thank her / as a person.

Kyouka: Oh, yeah, Kyou-chan, / at work, Takabayashi and I managed to create a new type of SAI. Kyouya: Huh? A new type of SAI?

Kyouka: I managed to get permission from the supervisor for you to take a look… Wanna come see?Kyouya: Huh? Really?!

Kyouya: I—I mean, I don’t know if I should go all the way out there to see…

p13:Kyouka: You don’t have to decide right away. I know you don’t have much aptitude with SAI, but… / the new type works with more people, so maybe you’ve got a chance.Kyouya: Re—really? Well then… maybe I should go…

p17:Yuuma: Maybe I should join you too, sis! It’s been so long! / We need to be physically close, too! Yes! We’re so close! This is how it should be! Kyouka: Kyah!! It’s getting in my eyes! Stop! Oww!

Yuuma: Kyou-chan isn’t a little kid anymore! / So stop asking him to help you in the bath!!

Yuuma: If I ever catch you doing this again, / I won’t let you eat, even if it kills you!Kyouka: <aside: Fine... >

p18:Life, Inc. Research Annex

(?): Wow… I can’t even tell them apart. / I can barely tell it’s a copy. / We don’t care about the shape—we care about its capabilties and side effects.

Mizuho: The more I learn about the Magical Vessels, the more intriguing they become. / To be honest, what I’m really interested in is the contracting algorithm…

Mizuho: We manage to reproduce the arrangement that allows one to use Life with SAI, / but to tell the truth, what our little trick can accomplish is nothing before the real thing.

Mizuho: Ah, but this mysterious gap between science and religion… / Doesn’t it just make you feel so excited?!

p19:Mizuho: But why do you want to mass produce the Magical Vessels? / Man, our company really doesn’t know when to give up. / We’ve already made SAI, after all.Kyouka: SAI will never be nothing more than a minor version of the Magical Vessels.

Kyouka: Our ultimate goal is to match the power used by the Original Takers. Mizuho: Well, they’d certainly be useful in order to exterminate the Taurus.

Mizuho: Those damn terrorist jerks, who use the power of a Taker for their own personal gain.

Mizuho: I get it… If this mass-produced Magical Vessel is successful, / then there’d be a lot of Takers supporting justice who are aligned with the government.

Mizuho: And if that happens, you’d get to work in the light of day, right, Kyouka?

p20:Yuuma: Wow! Life INC’s research facilities are as impressive as I thought they’d be.Kyouya: Well of course! They’re the first company in the world to start making practical use of Life. / Kyouka-nee-san must be amazing to be able to work here!

Kyouya: But I didn’t think you would join me, Yuuma-nee-san. Yuuma: What are you saying? This is about SAI Takers, right?

Yuuma: I can’t pass up a chance to see a new type of SAI!Kyouya: Really?

p29:Taurus: You’re not satisfied with just revealing Life to the world, or giving normal people the powers of a Taker. / Now you want to mass-produce Magical Vessels? Are you serious?!

Taurus: Do you have any idea what that would mean?! / How many people do you intend to guide down the wrong path?!

Kyouka: Don’t act so high and mighty! / All you’re doing is barging into someone else’s house with your shoes on and working to destroy everything!Taurus: We’re destroying Life, Inc. for the sake of the world!

Kyouka: This is a waste of time. Let’s fight already!

p30:Kyouka: And let me show you exactly why… / the government keeps us under lock and key!

p31:Kyouya: What—what is that? Did something happen?Mizuho: Well, this is just the emergency alarm…

Mizuho: Well, even if we’re under attack, / this place is perfectly safe.

Taurus: What are you, Igarashi Kyouka?! / Are you some sort of angel? A monster?!

Kyouka: I already told you, didn’t I?

p33:Taurus: What.. is this… / power…

Kyouka: That you’re just… / a bunch of punks.

p34:Taurus: Kukuku… / Kuku! Kukukuku!

Kyouka: What’s so funny?Taurus: You’re so naïve… You’re all so naïve…

Taurus: You really think the world works exactly how you think it does, don’t you? / You figure you can just see through anything?

Taurus: Why do you think… that we were aiming for you, Igarashi?

p35:Kyouka: Wait… do you mean?Taurus: Isn’t it obvious? We’re just the bait. / Our job was just to tie you up here.

Taurus: Taurus’s true objective is…

Taurus: Blowing all of the development data / you thought no one knew about to smithereens!

Kyouka: Kyouya?!

p36:Yuuma: Kyou-chan?! / Onee-chan!!!

p37:Kyouka: KYOUYAAAAA!!

Kyouka: Kyouya…

Kyouka: Are you alive? Answer me! / Kyouya!!

p38:Mizuho: Kyou… ka…

Kyouka: Mizuho?!

Kyouka: Mizuho! Kyouya!! / You’re OK, right?!

Mizuho: Looks like I’m alive… somehow…

Mizuho: But your brother… / I don’t think he’s going to make it.

p39:Kyouka: Kyo…?! / Kyouya!!

Mizuho: At this rate, / he’ll be gone before any help arrives.

Kyouka: Kyo…

p40:Kyouka: Kyouya!! Please, hang on! This is a joke, right? You can’t be dying!Mizuho: Calm down! And don’t shake him!

Kyouka: This is… This is a dream, right? This can’t be real…! / I mean… you were alive, just a second ago!

Kyouka: Why do you have to die, Kyouya? / Why?!

Mizuho: Please, Kyouka. I’m begging you… Just calm down…

p41:Kyouka: Ar… / temis?

Mizuho: Hey, wait! Kyouka?!

p42:Mizuho: That’s the mass-produced Magical Vessel! We haven’t even properly tested it yet! / It’s not a SAI—it’s a Magical Vessel!

Mizuho: There’s no way of knowing what sort of side effects there will be! And besides… if he forms a contract, he won’t be human anymore! / It’s not like someone becoming a SAI Taker!

Kyouka: I guess… / you don’t think of originals as humans, either.

Mizuho: That’s… That’s not what I meant!

Kyouka: No… I don’t care what you meant. And I don’t care if it turns him into a monster.

p43:Kyouka: Because right now, / do you think there’s any other way to save Kyouya’s life?!

Kyouka: Answer me, Mizuho!

p44:Kyouka: Live… Kyouya…

Kyouya: Where… / Where am I?

Kyouya: That’s—that’s right… I remember... / There was an explosion, and I…

p45:Kyouya: Thank goodness.. It looks like I’m alright…

Kyouya: Everything else… / feels fine, too…

Kyouya: But this feels like a miracle… I can’t believe I survived that explosion…

p46-47:<no text>

p48:Kyouya: What?

Kyouya: What? / What?

Kyouya: WHAT THE FUCK?!!!!

p49:Yuuma: What the… Onee-chan, don’t tell me this is Kyouya…?

Kyouya: Yu—Yuuma-nee-san?!

Yuuma: Boo…

Yuuma: Boobs?! What the hell? Why do you have boobs?!Kyouya: That’s what I wanna know!

Kyouka: That girl is… Kyou-chan…

Kyouka: He formed a contract with Artemis, and… / became an Original Taker.

p50:Kyouya: I… am…

Kyouya: an Original?!Mizuho: <aside: I don’t care anymore… >Kyouya: What? Why?!Kyouka: Well—well you see, after the explosion… you were about to die, and, well…

Kyouka: A normal human wouldn’t have had enough regenerative power to overcome those wounds, so… / that’s why I…

Kyouka: had you form a contract with a mass-produced Magical Vessel. / The only way you could survive was as an Orginal Taker.

p51:Kyouya: But… but that shouldn’t have been possible…. / You told us yourself, Nee-san: a Magical Vessel itself chooses who it will contract with. Kyouka: These mass-produced types will form a contract with anyone. But in exchange… well…

Kyouka: There seem to have been some side effects…

Kyouya: Side—side effects? Do you mean me becoming like this?!

Kyouya: Is this because I made a contract with a Magical Vessel?! / Tell me! Am I right? I am, aren’t I?!Kyouka: Bingo!

Kyouka: It might be because the original Magical Vessel we based it on contracted with a woman. / This is probably the work of the skill that lets the Vessel forcefully change its user into a different life form…Yuuma: <aside: Kuoh… Blood… Blood is rushing to my head…>Kyouya: So—so that means that I…?!

p52:Kyouya: That I’m stuck like this forever?!Mizuho: Just try to think of it as a temporary countermeasure.

Mizuho: We’ll try to find a way to fix things as fast as we can. And moreover, if you take off the Magical Vessel, we’ve already confirmed that you’ll go back to normal.

Kyouya: That’s—that’s great! So I can go back to being a man! Yuuma: So, where is the Magical Vessel itself?Mizuho: It usually takes the form of a hairband.

Kyouya: Ah, you mean this?Yuuma: So, let’s get this off you already!

Kyouka: Kyahhhh!Yuuma: It really worked!Kyouya: I’m back to normal!Mizuho: Hurry up and put that thing back on him!

p53:Mizuho(?): His Life! His Life is going down!Kyouya: Huh? What?!Mizuho(?): What are you doing?! Just put it back on already!

Mizuho: You saw, didn’t you? Normally, the counter only goes down by one each day, but when you become a man, it goes down dozens of times faster! Kyouka: If it hits zero, you’ll die! That’s what happens to Originals! So make sure to never take it off ever again!

Kyouya: What… What the hell? / Does this mean… that I…

p54:Yuuma: That he has to live the rest of his life with these things on his chest? / That’s what you’re saying, right?!